Cyanogen, the company that makes a popular forked Android experience for enthusiasts, has created a new platform to help developers create the apps they want.

The mod platform Cyanogen introduced at Mobile World Congress on Monday provides the ability for developers to gain greater access to Android and sidestep the rules placed upon them by Google.

The platform is a series of APIs that give developers system access to a particular device. With that, and with help from the accompanying Platform Development Kit, apps and services can be more deeply integrated into Android and allow for more usability.

Interestingly, Microsoft is one of Cyanogen's early partners on the project. That company is offering several mods, including one for Skype and Cortana. The Cortana mod is particularly interesting, since it allows users to call out to Cortana and do more than the version available on the standard Google Android.

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On Google's version, for instance, users aren't able to simply say "Hey Cortana" to open the app and set reminders. Google instead forces app makers to switch off voice-activated features and saves that only for its own "OK Google" commands. With Cyanogen's mod platform, all of that is stripped away.

Still, it's important to note that CyanogenOS is far behind Google's Android in popularity and availability. Indeed, the company is working hard to bring CyanogenOS to more devices, but in the vast majority of cases, users need to install the forked Android themselves before they can get it up and running.

The new mod platform, while interesting, works on Cyanogen's operating system, and it's exceedingly unlikely Google will change its policies on deep integration anytime soon. That said, Cyanogen says that it anticipates over a dozen "MOD Ready" devices launching starting in March. The company hopes to add more developers as time goes on.

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